Sedimentology of the Neogene Strata in Pishin Belt, Western Pakistan

The Neogene succession of the Pishin Belt occupies the area along the northwestern margin of Pakistan. Western boundary of the belt is transpressional with the Afghan Block due to the Chaman Fault, while its eastern and southeastern boundary is dominantly compressional. The Zhob Valley Thrust separates the Pishin Belt from the Sulaiman Fold-Thrust Belt of the Indian Plate. The belt is divisible into six tectono-stratigraphic zones, having its distinct lithostratigraphy and bounded by major thrusts and/or unconformities. The Muslim Bagh-Zhob Ophiolite marks the base, and Zone-I of the belt. The Eocene Nisai Formation and the Oligocene-Early Miocene Khojak Formation, makes our Zone-II, which overlies the Muslim Bagh-Zhob Ophiolite with a non-conformable contact. The Early-Middle Miocene Dasht Murgha group overlies the Nisai Formation with angular unconformity and constitutes Zone-III. The Late Miocene-Pliocene Malthanai formation makes Zone-IV and its lower and upper contacts with the Nisai Formation are thrusted. The Pleistocene Bostan Formation, having a thrust contact with the Malthanai formation